


Ringpops

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Altantis makes a trade deal for ringpops. Sheppard is distracting and Rodney tries not to do anything about it. Written for Kink Bingo prompt “food”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ringpops

The thing about John Sheppard is that Rodney knows that he can be a fourteen year old girl, or maybe it's just the parallel of obsessive glee between boy bands and puddle jumpers. So maybe John's not girly in the giggly teen way, he's just childish. It would explain the ridiculous faces, penchant for really unique idiocy, and the lollipops. It's that last bit that really annoys Rodney. Gleeful smiles at new weapons systems are distracting enough without accessories to draw attention all the time. With all of this understood, Rodney isn't really surprised after the trade deal with the Ekatrin people of M47XX8 goes through that John Sheppard becomes the king of ringpops. Okay, so maybe they aren't really ring pops, but they look like it. The candied fruit, cut to the shape of a gemstone in bright green or pink, is fitted onto a wooden ring and then can be eaten, or rather sucked on, over the course of the day. Rodney of course is dubious of them at first: fruit oddly colored, could be citrus! But after thorough testing by Beckett and others, Rodney's allowed to try. They taste like candy, vaguely acidic, overly sweet, and with a bizarre flavor somewhere between lavender and blueberries which is really quite addicting once one gets used to it. And so Rodney finds himself sitting across the conference table from Sheppard, watching him lazily pop the candy in and out of his mouth, knowing both how good that would taste, and more infuriatingly unable to avoid the feelings said image aroused in his body. Because John basically fellating the brightly colored sticky sweet sucker candy in front of everyone at the morning staff meeting was just not on. It was guaranteed to lead to a grouchy rest of the day for Rodney. He'd have to go hide in the labs and attempt to not see Sheppard for the next 12 hours until he could roll himself into bed, vaguely attempt to rationalize, or deal with the problem and sleep before starting the whole process over again.

Sheppard's not the only one with the ringpops. They're becoming quite the fad on Atlantis. Teyla has fond memories of them from her girlhood and has been gathering a supply of her own. Cadman had the indecency to make obviously lewd gestures at him with hers and then walk away laughing at his red faced bluster. Seeing marines with them while in uniform is only mildly mind-boggling. Rodney of course has to bring his concerns to the next meeting, Atlantis has yet to get an actual dentist.  
"Actually, Rodney, they're quite good for you. The sugar content is far lower than most Earth candy and the vaguely purple ones contain a stimulant much like coffee. We shall be rationing those, but the pink and green ones are perfectly fine for daily consumption, and since they contain calcium and some other basic vitamins I've actually been considering adding them to breakfast, as they might function well as a daily supplement." Beckett smiles. And really that's just not fair. Rodney does not need more Sheppard-ringpop moments in his life at this point. Just to rub it in, Sheppard seems to be smirking at him across the table. Rodney barely restrains himself from putting his head in his hands and hoping the world will go away when he doesn't see it.

Rodney begins to be able to ignore Sheppard's new favorite pastime of obscenely eating candy. It takes effort but Rodney is nothing if not a genius and being so incredibly smart means compartmentalizing to do five things at once, and so with practice Rodney figures he should be able to do anything, even ignore Sheppard. And if Sheppard and his lollipops continue to play a bit more of a role than is really warranted in his fantasy life, well that's between him and his right hand and no one's the wiser. Rodney knows, however, that things have gone too far when after a day of studiously ignoring Sheppard and immersing himself in the labs he goes back to his quarters and almost without thinking takes out his own "daily supplement" ringpop at the same time he's wrapping a hand around his cock and thinking about John. Maybe he needs to stop avoiding this problem and to get Sheppard banned from having the things. Or pin him up against the wall the next time Rodney sees him with one and share the sweetness between their mouths. God. Rodney's fucking his own hand, twirling his tongue around the candy and making rather embarrassing breathy noises. A little provocative John Sheppard is one thing, but every day 24/7, except for on missions when sucking on one's fingers isn't very safe, is enough to drive any person with a libido crazy. Rodney is surprised the entire base hasn't jumped down John's throat yet, because it's very clear he knows how to use his tongue. Rodney groans and lets the sweet pink candy fall from his lips with a pop. His hand drops to rest on his chest, tweaking one nipple as he closes his eyes and arches into the sensation. The wood of the ring on his finger is wet from the dribble of saliva off the candy, clinging stickily to his skin. On an impulse, Rodney turns his hand, running the spit slick, smooth hardness of the candy around his nipple. The smell is fragrant and fruity, maybe a bit like pineapple in the dark of his room. Rodney cannot control another groan. Maybe if he touched himself like this, leaving sticky, faintly pink trails, patterns on his skin, John would come and follow them with his tongue, licking Rodney clean. The thought is enough that Rodney shudders and comes. Easing back to the bed he feels tired and like he seriously needs a shower, but can't be bothered.

Rodney figures maybe that's what does it, because he doesn't shower, he wipes himself off half heartedly, but basically rolls over and falls asleep. The next morning when Elizabeth and Radek both page him at 3 am Rodney doesn't have time to more than peel himself off the sheets, which cling to his chest, and shove himself into the nearest clothes he can find. It's the midnight crisis that are always the worst, people aren't awake enough to function and everything seems far more dramatic for happening at whatever ungodly hour of the morning. Elizabeth is in what appear to be the native version of pink bunny slippers, though they look a bit more like crocs, her hair held back in a hasty ponytail, Zelenka's shirt is inside out, Rodney is in pajama pants and a dirty T-shirt, and John, well, John looks like he spent a few hours perfecting bed-head and the casual-sleepy look. Chuck just looks manic, and like he's had way too much caffeine. It takes a little over an hour to turn off the before unknown space-missile-defense invasion protocol a botanist taking a midnight walk to the greenhouse somehow managed to set off. Of course, once Rodney's finally figured out how to shut off the damn thing, half the base is awake and at ready to attempt to stop the incoming drones from wiping out the East half of the city, and Rodney's ready to go curl up in a corner and bang his head repeatedly into the wall, or just pass out. Elizabeth sighs and claps him on the shoulder, hailing an 'all clear' over the cities PA system. Zelenka is nowhere to be seen and Rodney figures he left and went to sleep when it was clear Rodney was either going to fix it in the next three minutes or they were all going to die. Rodney rubs his eyes and thanks the milling crowds of scientists and military personnel for being completely and idiotically in the way of people who need to go sleep now! and kindly stops to tell Chuck that taking any more of the stimulant ringpop things might leave him looking permanently like that and while Rodney would be happy to mock him to the end of time he probably aught to sleep.

John falls into step beside Rodney as they leave the control room, walking down the hall towards their quarters.  
"Nice job." Sheppard smiles and jostles his shoulder against Rodney who is ill equipped to walk in a straight line at this point. He weaves into a wall at the nudge. "Whoa, buddy. Hey you alright?" Sheppard catches his arm, reeling Rodney back into the middle of the hall and looking at him with concern.  
"m'Fine. Seriously I just need to sleep for a week, or maybe 4 hours without unnecessary adrenaline spikes." Rodney grouses, eyeing perky "I don't need sleep to look ridiculously attractive" Sheppard out of the corner of his eye.  
"Yeah, you and me both." Sheppard agrees, slinging an arm genially around Rodney's shoulders. "Here, I'll steer. You just keep walking." Rodney gives an un-amused snort, but then Sheppard is craning his neck around to eye him, a curious look on his face. And then Sheppard sniffs. Rodney tries not to look totally guilty but he can feel the flush suffusing his face.  
"You smell like...Rodney, why do you smell like the Ekatrin vitamin supplements?" Rodney reminds himself that spontaneous combustion is a rare occurrence, and implosion would really not be a fun way to go. But Sheppard is sniffing, right near his neck and the hairs on the back of Rodney's neck are prickling and Jesus Christ either they're far more sleep deprived than Rodney gave either of them credit for, or the ringpops are some serious aphrodisiac or... Only Rodney's not really paying much attention anymore because Sheppard's mouth is on his neck and he's being backed into the wall, only there isn't a wall and, oh that must be the door to John's quarters and isn't that good timing. After that Rodney isn't thinking all that coherently because being stripped by John Sheppard and then pushed back against a, rather small, bed by the equally naked man is really about all his brain is capable of processing at the moment. Of course that means somewhere between John licking down his chest and over his belly Rodney's brain turns back on with all sorts of questions, the first one mainly being,  
"Wait! Why. Why are you. What's happening?"  
"I think what's happening should be fairly clear Rodney."  
"Right no, I get the really sexy naked bit, but why? I mean, not that I'm disagreeing with any of this, clearly I'm fully on board, but this is. Well, this doesn't fit into any sense of reality. Why are you?"  
"Maybe because I like you Rodney." John is smirking and from his position practically between Rodney's legs, that goes a long way to making Rodney want to throw questions out the window but he has to know.  
"Right, and I would have figured that out. You, you're Kirk, you get the village princess or priestess. I have yet to see any evidence of the Rakish Hero running off with the, the Scientist."  
"Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the right sources. What do you think the whole ringpop thing was?"  
"So you admit they're ringpops! Wait, what?"  
"Rodney, I don't have quite as much of a sweet tooth as you do. Do you think I'd really be eating one all the time? I just had one ready for whenever you were around. Ask Teyla, she caught on pretty quickly."  
"But, the lollipops! That was before M47XX8."  
"The trade agreement with the Ekatrin people just...altered my plan. Besides, Carson's right. They are good for you."  
"God, you were really?"  
"Yes Rodney."  
"And that means-"  
"Yes Rodney."  
"Oh well, good. Let's then, shall we?" John answers by kissing him, and his mouth is sweet and tastes vaguely of lavender with maybe a hint of blueberry.

**Author's Note:**

> Someone mentioned ringpops and I had this sudden inspirational image in my head of John Sheppard with one. I have no idea what episode this is, or if it was just an interview I saw on the Scifi website, anyways the entire time John had this pink (or was it yellow?) dumdum lolipop thing. I figure if Sheppard would eat that... And so this was born.


End file.
